Want a new building lot in Whitehorse? Be patient, city says

If you are looking to buy a building lot in Whitehorse some time soon, you might be out of luck.

City officials say there is just one single-family lot available for sale in the capital, and things aren't expected to change until later this year.

That's when more lots in the new Whistle Bend neighbourhood come up for public lottery.

Whistle Bend is envisioned by planners as a neighbourhood of over 8,000 residents, with a town square, transit services, three schools and retail shops. It's being planned through a partnership between the City of Whitehorse and the Yukon government.

The subdivision is growing in stages, and officials say it's becoming more popular. They've even accelerated the timeline for the fourth phase of the development.

Pat Ross, the city's manager of planning and building services, says the current phase will have just 55 single family lots coming available through public lottery, this fall. There will also be 20 townhouse lots and four multi-family lots.

"So phase three, in it's nature has more multi-family lots because we are encouraging density around that core area," he said.

Phase four, he says, will be "more slanted in the single-family residential".

'It's been going pretty good'

According to the city, interest in the Whistle Bend subdivision was slow at first, but has now exceeded expectations. Ross says many of the single-family lots have been bought up by professional home-builders.

"About 80 per cent of the home sale agreements were held by Yukon Housing, were for contractors and spec. home builders," he said.

Whitehorse realtor James Lopushinsky says even he's been surprised by the demand.

"I don't think anybody saw the demand coming the way it has been, and it's been going pretty good," he said.

Construction of nine more multi-family lots and 35 commercial lots is expected to begin next summer, with a lottery in 2019.

Phase four design has already begun, with clearing underway for roads and lanes. Government planners say construction contracts for those lots could be tendered later this summer.